(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotating module for a clamping device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rotating module applied to a clamping device that is configured to clamp a panel regardless of the dimensions and surface curvature of the panel which may have different sizes and shapes according to vehicle models.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, twenty to thirty thousand components are sequentially assembled so that a vehicle can be efficiently manufactured on an assembly line. Particularly, after being manufactured through various press apparatuses, the panels are transmitted to a vehicle body factory at a first stage of vehicle manufacturing process. The panels are assembled with each other to form a vehicle body of a body in white (B.I.W) shape.
A side panel, a roof panel, a rear panel, and so on are mounted to a floor of the vehicle body through main body processes, the vehicle body is painted through painting processes, and the vehicle is manufactured by assembling an engine, a transmission, and interior and exterior materials thereto in an assembly factory.
Each panel mounted on the vehicle body is manufactured generally via pressing. After the panels are pressed, the panels are clamped, assembled, welded, hemmed, and painted to output a manufactured vehicle body.
Since the different panels, however, have different shapes and sizes depending on the vehicle model currently being manufactured, it is difficult to use a universal apparatus that is able to effectively clamp all kinds of panels each having different dimensions and shapes. Therefore, manufactures must use custom clamping apparatuses for each vehicle model.
When a custom clamping apparatus is used, cost for remodeling the clamping apparatus or manufacturing a new clamping apparatus may be necessary and initial investment cost may be increased when a new vehicle model is manufactured. In addition, structure of the clamping apparatus may become complex as well.
In some cases, in order to clamp various different kinds of panels of different vehicle models having various dimensions using a conventional clamping device, the clamping device can rotate forward or backward and to the left or to the right. In this case, each driving module should be provided for each axial direction. Therefore, the structure and control of the driving module may become complex in the conventional designs.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.